


death at every window

by fullmetalruby



Series: febslash fembruary [6]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Femslash February 2021
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:55:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29257824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullmetalruby/pseuds/fullmetalruby
Summary: Hades is not the father of Maria di Angelo's children.[Femslash February 2021 | Day 6 | Misunderstandings]
Relationships: Maria di Angelo/Melinoe
Series: febslash fembruary [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2139714
Kudos: 6





	death at every window

**Author's Note:**

> timbitat discord fsf!!!
> 
> this is very bad but its one that ive had in my head for a while
> 
> title comes from "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes

The man who introduced himself as Melchior is far too smooth.

There’s something about the way he speaks, the way he moves, the way he smells that throws Maria off. She’s made it this far in life by knowing two things-- how to sing, and how to pin down a rat from fifty meters. Every bone in her body is screaming at her that this person isn’t who he says he is. But she can’t pin it down.

She’s careful to keep this anger off her face. At this point keeping her feelings hidden is second nature. Melchior won’t stop talking.

At least he’s not hard to look at. His dark, curly hair is unfashionably long and not slicked back, and his face is rather feminine, but Maria has always been into more unconventional-looking men anyways. When she ends up tuning out half of what they say anyways, their looks are all that matter.

“This has been wonderful,” Melchior purrs. He’s escorted her to the sidewalk outside the music hall. Her car should be here any time. “Would you like to accompany me back to my hotel to continue our discussion?”

They’ve been talking about theoretical afterlives for half an hour, and for once in her life Maria is actually enjoying talking to a man. “I have my own room.”

Melchior smiles. “Are you sure? We can talk all night.”

“We can talk on the phone if you so wish, but I have my own room, Melchior.” She hates that she doesn’t have a last name to address him by. _Melchior_ , so informal. Not prefacing it with ‘ _signore_ ’ leaves a bad taste in her mouth.

“There’s wonderful service there,” Melchior presses.

“No thank you, I am quite happy with my own accommodations.”

She can pinpoint the exact moment he decides that she’s just stupid and he needs to be blunt. “There seems to be a misunderstanding, Madama di Angelo. I am asking you to spend the night with me.”

“There has been no misunderstanding. If you wish to ‘spend the night with me’, as you have said, then you may do so properly. Court me, ask my father’s permission, that sort of thing. I cannot be seen in a man’s hotel room.”

Once again, that appraising look as Melchior decides what to say. “I believe there has been a misunderstanding here. Through no fault of your own,” he eventually says.

In an instant, between blinks, Melchior disappears. In his place is nothing short of the most beautiful woman Maria has ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on. Her hair is still unfashionably long, still dark and curly, but now it reaches her bust. Which is ample. And which Maria is certainly _not_ looking at. She’s wearing a purple dress, with one strap falling down her shoulder.

“Allow me to clear up the misconception. My name is Melinoë. Would you like to come back to my room, to continue our discussion?” Melinoë’s voice is low and throaty. Her consonants get trapped between her back teeth and her dark, berry-painted lips curl pleasantly around her vowels. Her eyes are violet. With a sharp, tantalizing smirk, she offers Maria one black-gloved hand.

She takes it.

* * *

Maria meets Melinoë’s father only once.

“Let me protect you,” the lord of the dead begs her. He’s wearing Melinoë’s favorite male face, and she wonders which of them that says more about. Is Hades pretending to be ‘Melchior’ so people aren’t suspicious, or does Melinoë just imitate her own father?

Maria wants to hug her children close, but instead she watches them play on the carpet. She grew up thinking that children were out of the question for a woman with preferences like her own, but her beloved Melinoë had been able to make it happen. Bianca looks like her wife, and Niccolò is her own spitting image, but his dark eyes shine barely purple in the right light.

“Melinoë has already been taken. She can protect you no longer, but I can keep you safe. Come to the Underworld with me.” Apparently, Hades’ brother had been incensed with him for some thing or another, and had imprisoned his daughter as punishment.

“I will not raise my children in the Underworld. I’ve told her this before,” Maria states.

Hades rests a hand on her elbow, pleading. “Then let me hide you elsewhere. Someplace that even my brother will not be able to find you.”

“Leave me be, Lord. I’ve told you that my children have nothing to do with you.”

“Melinoë asked this of me.”

“Melinoë can ask all she likes, but I will not be forcing my children to move so soon. It was supposed to be safe here already. I must bid you _buona giornata_ , Lord. My children and I have things to be doing.”

Hades stands with her she she does. “Maria--”

There’s a flash of lightning, and the next thing Maria knows, she’s standing in a palace of black stone, the scent of brimstone in the air. The hall around her is full of ghosts, the lurking dead without a goddess to guide them. She looks around-- for her daughter, for her son. Where are they? But neither Bianca nor Nico is in sight, and even further searching doesn’t reveal them to her. Relief courses through her ethereal veins.

They must still be alive then.

_Take care of things while I’m gone, my love?_ Melinoë had asked her the night before she was taken. And Maria has always kept her word. She may not be able to care for her children, but she can pick up this slack, at least.

**Author's Note:**

> once again, this deserves to be longer, but im on a deadline and this is what im willing to do tonight. might come back and redo it later but i make no promises.
> 
> so yeah this is the part where i admit that i think it would have been a better plot twist in HOH that Hades wasn't Nico's dad. Here I've used one of my several alternatives, in which Melinoë in male form was the father and then Hades did the godly equivalent of adopting his teenager's baby (this is also fed by my fervent belief that myth-canon Hades would never cheat on his wife, but I digress).
> 
> check me out on tumblr @fullmetalruby


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